No comments about The Plundering Time: Maryland and the English Civil War, 1645--1646.

1 comments about Women in the American Civil War.

1. Compiled, organized and edited by Lisa Tendrich Frank, "Women In The American Civil War" is a two volume compendium focusing specifically on the women who played vital roles from the home front to the battlefield during the four years of the American civil war. Largely unknown, these women and their contributions are now showcased and presented for the benefit of scholars and civil war buffs with an interest in civil war history more than 300 alphabetically organized entries identify the individual women, their organizations, battles, and women's roles that are associated with all aspects of the civil war conflict. Featuring fourteen contextual essays covering the lives and experiences of women in both the North and the South, both slave and free, immediately prior to the outbreak of war, during the years of conflict, as well as after the Confederate defeat, "Women In The American Civil War" is further enhanced with contributions by more than one hundred experts in the field of civil war historical research, original documents (including letters and diary entries) that personalize the historical data; a detailed chronology of Civil war events while highlighting those particularly affecting women; and an extensive bibliography of primary and secondary sources. Thoroughly 'user friendly', "Women In The American Civil War" is a seminal and important contribution to the growing library of Civil War reference literature and an important, core addition to personal, professional, academic, and community library collections.

No comments about Sword and Olive Branch: Oliver Otis Howard (The North's Civil War, No. 9).

No comments about Fighting With the Eighteenth Massachusetts: The Civil War Memoir of Thomas H. Mann.

4 comments about Mistress of Manifest Destiny: A Biography of Jane McManus Storm Cazneau, 1807-1878.

1. Linda Hudson has done a wonderful job of following the travels and trials of Jane McManus Storm Cazneau from her youth in New York to her involvement in Texas land deals in the 1830's and her mission to Mexico City in the midst of the Mexican War in the 1840's to her life in Eagle Pass, Texas, (which she somehow did not at first realize was literally the middle of no where) to her exploits in Cuba and her return to New York City to play a role in the presidential campaign of 1852.

   She has shown the complexity of the politics of the times especially as they relate to the question of slavery and its expansion into Texas. She has also related the very complicated life of a woman who was liberated long before being a liberated woman was considered cool. In doing so, she has created a far more complex view of society in the United States in the middle of the 19th century than many historians have uncovered...or been willing to admit to having uncovered.

   It is a wonderful trip into the history not only of the United States but also of Mexico and the Caribbean that she has taken with Jane Cazneau and that she allows the reader to share.




2. History is a passion of mine and this book is so very good. I can not imagine how long it took to do all this research. It gave me a different understanding of our government history. Just to think if our politions had had the foresight that Jane McManus and Aaron Burr had, Cuba, Doninican Republic, and Mexico just to name a few, could have been States today. I would love to have been Jane because she was so smart and brave. I found her one of the most fascinating persons in history. I loved this book.



3. History is a passion of mine and this book is so very good. I can not imagine how long it took to do all this research. It gave me a different understanding of our government history. Just to think if our politions had had the foresight that Jane McManus and Aaron Burr had, Cuba, Doninican Republic, and Mexico just to name a few, could have been States today. I would love to have been Jane because she was so smart and brave. I found her one of the most fascinating persons in history. I loved this book.



4. I am related to General William L.Cazneau 1807-1876 and his wife Jane McManus Cazneau 1807-1878, the subject of this book. I met the author in November 1999 in Texas. A great amount of research has gone in to this book and it took years to collect it all. I am a direct descendent of General Thomas Nugent Cazneau 1812-1873 of California, brother of William. I am sending copies to libraries and friends. God Bless You !!

1 comments about Hospital Days: Reminiscence of a Civil War Nurse.

1. This must be the best book on the Civil War written by a woman! The layout is incredible. Every one should read this book

1 comments about Lone Star Generals in Gray.

1. Texas played an important role in the American Civil War, providing more than 70,000 Texans to the Confederate armies. Thirty-seven of those Texans served as general officers and included such notable battlefield commanders as Albert Sidney Johnston, John Bell Hood, Ben McCulloch, Samuel Bell Maxey, and Tom Green. In Lone Star Generals In Gray, history and author Ralph Wooster provides substantial insight into the careers of these Confederate general officers from Texas and sets them within the broader context of Texan involvement in the War Between The States. These were men who led (and in some cases, misled) their troops in a uniquely Texan way. Lone Star Generals In Gray is informative, vivid, fascinating, illuminating and insightful reading for students of the Civil War and the history of Texas.

1 comments about Airmen Without Portfolio: U.S. Mercenaries in Civil War Spain.

1. The first few chapters had me worried about where the book was going. These chapters contains the background to the war which is common knowledge to most SCW buffs. Chapter four gets to the stuff you would expect from the book and my opinion turned positive. The lives, missions and interactions are described very well and the story becomes more interesting as it goes on. This book gave me a better appreciation of the Republican Airwar during their hey-day and the tight relation between the Americans in the "La Patrulla Americana". It is a small book with only 150 pages and generally pulls together information into one source. I found it a very quick read and a good addition to my SCW collection. I rate it 3 stars due to the VERY high price.

1 comments about Confederate General R.S. Ewell: Robert E. Lee's Hesitant Commander.

1. The amount of time and research that went into this book is hard to fathom as archives from many parts of the South have been scoured for material. Paul Casdorph would in fact be the perfect choice to teach graduate research seminars because he is so adept in this area. Unfortunately, as is often the case, the best researchers are not always the best writers. There is much information and insight into the life of General Richard Ewell to be found in this book but sometimes it is very hard to extract.
   
   The author's thesis is that General Ewell just didn't have the personality to be an aggressive field commander and that may well have been the case but this often contradictory book falls far short of proving that point. The cases where Ewell was aggressive are hardly noted although they did exist and actually Ewell was sometimes more apt to attack than Stonewall Jackson. It is a comparison with Jackson that in fact makes up most of the author's argument. Again however incidents that contradict the author's theory are just brushed aside. For example, Jackson's extreme lethargy during the Seven Days battles is hardly dealt with at all.
   
   Ewell's poor performance at Gettysburg seems to be the cornerstone of Casdorph's argument but alas it is also the weakest part of his argument. The reader is hit constantly with what Jackson might have done at Gettysburg, which is something we will never know. He might well have leaned up against a tree and took another nap. The author also brings up the old canard about Longstreet's late attack on July 2nd. I would be willing to bet that the author couldn't take a comparable number of men and make it from where Longstreet's men were at 11:00 PM on July 1st to where the attack is supposed to have come from in less than seven hours either. It would be especially unlikely with a guide that ended up costing Longstreet several hours.
   
   Another problem rests with the writing style the author employs. There were places in this book that left me feeling as if I was trudging through knee deep mud. The writing does improve as the book goes along but there are places that are just mercilessly dull. He also misspells General Cleburne's name, which is a mistake that one shouldn't find in this type of scholarly work.
   
   Still, Casdorph does make one very clear and astute point. Robert E. Lee had a blind spot for Virginia and Virginians and that seems to be the only real reason Ewell ever rose to corps command. Although there is no clear argument made in this text as to who might have been a better choice.
   
   Overall the writing and thesis of this book are weak at best but there is still a lot of information to be found here. The author has presented several important facts and one can learn quite a bit about General Ewell and the Army of Northern Virginia in this book. If Mr. Casdorph was willing to do all of this research the least the reader can do is pick through the dull areas in order to access the information.

1 comments about Lincoln's Quest for Union.

1. This book is a wonder insight into the psyche of Abraham Lincoln. This book focuses on the history of Lincoln, not so much the history of his political terms as president, rather the history behind the morals and personality of the man himself. Charles Strozier does a wonderful job in piecing together the facts and fables in order to tell the tale of Lincoln. There are so many folk tales on Lincoln that it can be hard to figure out what really happened and what didn't. There are myriad sources used in order to give this book the depth needed to paint a lush illustration of such an interesting person.
   
   Abraham Lincoln is easily connected to the American Civil War. However in this book, not much of the war is really mentioned. Nor are detailed aspects of his political policies. The book traces the lifeline of Lincoln as child all the way to his death. Many psychological depictions are utilized in understanding the soul, mind, emotion and motivation behind the spirit of Abe Lincoln. I found it very interesting and satisfying to have such a blend of history and psychology, which is a wonderful way to do a case study on a person.